Vegetable peeling and washing machine.



S. D. HYDE. VEGETABLE FEELING AND WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 22, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908. ;9 19

re-571$? fiZ J g 4 M STEPHEN D. HYDE, OF LlNUOLN, NEBRASKA.

VEGETABLE FEELING AND WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed August 22, 1907. Serial No. 389,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S'LEPHEN l). Hrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable Peelingand Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, efficient machine forpeeling and washing potatoes and other vegetables.

The machine consists of a main frame, a perforated vegetable receptaclemovably suspended in said frame and provided with abrading surfaces, awater reservoir, located directly over the vegetable receptacle andarranged to discharge water thereinto; and a drip pan situated directlybelow said receptacle and adapted to catch the drippings therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, F igure 1 is a side elevation of avegetable peeling and washing machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa fragmental front view showing only the frame, the vegetable receptacleand the water reservoir. Figs. 3 and 4: are views illustrating theabrading surfaces of the vegetable receptacle.

1 represents the main frame which consists, in this instance, of foursupports 2, the braces 3 and the upper side walls 45. At the forward endof said frame is a support 5 for the driving means. The said frame is soconstructed as to economize space and at the same time provide asubstantial support for every part of the machine.

6 is a vegetable receptacle provided with a cover 7. The receptacle maybe of any suitable length or width, but its depth is preferably fromthree and one-half to five inches, in order to secure the most rapidcleaning action upon the potatoes or other vegetables. The side wallsare curved so as to provide the largest possible amount of effectiveabrading surface. Said receptacle is preferably constructed of suitablesheet metal, and is provided with abrading surfaces formed by punchingthe sheet metal systematically with a punch of equilateral triangularform. Sets of three triangular prongs 8 (Figs. 3 and 1) having curvedsides, arranged about triangular perforations 9, are thus formed. Saidperforations are disposed in rows, each alternate perforation beingreversed in position. Each alter nate row also is shifted so as to bringthe set of prongs S into slanting alinement.

The means herein shown for supporting the receptacle (3 in the machineframe comprises four links 10 attached to the ends of said receptacleand provided with hearings in the upper end of the frame. The upper endsof these rods being closer together than the lower ends, it will be seenthat the receptacle (3 is adapted to have a swinging or tilting movementin the frame. In this instance the receptacle 6 is moved by meanscomprising a gear 11 fixed on a shaft 12 carried in the support 5, saidshaft being provided with a hand crank 13. The gear 11 meshes with apinion let mounted on a shaft 15 in the support A fly wheel 16 is fixedon said shaft 12. The receptacle 6 receives its motion from the flywheel 16 through a connecting rod 17 attached to a crank pin on said flywheel and a pivot pin carried by said receptacle.

Directly above the receptacle (5 is a water reservoir 18 hung in themain frame 1 by means of the hooks 19 or any other suitable means. Thebottom wall of said tank is perforated to allow water to drip onto there ceptacle.

The frame 1 is provided with the side walls 4: to guard against thesplashing of water from the receptacle 6.

At a suitable distance below the vegetable receptacle a drip pan 20 isremovably sup ported in the main frame by hooks 21 or other suitablemeans. The drip pan 20 is suficiently long to catch all the refuse fromthe receptacle (5 when the latter is in operation.

In use, the potatoes or other vegetables are deposited in suitablenumbers in the receptacle 6 and the cover 7 slid into position. Thewater reservoir 18 is then filled and the receptacle 6 rapidlyreciprocated or swung by rotating the hand crank 13. By reason of thecombined reciprocating and tilting movements of the receptacle 6 thepotatoes roll within said receptacle, every point of the surface of thepotatoes being thus brought into contact with the abrading surfaces. Theform and arrangement of the prongs are such as to reach every part ofthe surface of the potatoes. The receptacle 6 being rapidlyreciprocatcd, the potatoes are brought into violent contact with theabrading surfaces, thereby quickly and effectively removing the skinfrom the potatoes. The water dripping from the water reservoir 18 washesthe potatoes and carries the disintegrated skin through the perforations9 in the bottom of the receptacle 6 into the drip pan 20.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vegetable peeling and washing machine, in combination, asupporting frame; a vegetable receptacle movably sup ported in saidframe and carrying skin-removing devices; means for swinging saidreceptacle; and means for supplying water to said receptacle.

2. In a vegetable peeling and washing machine, in combination, asupporting frame; a vegetable receptacle supported in said frame to moveto and fro; means for bodily moving said receptacle to and fro; a coverfor said receptacle, said receptacle and cover having openings therein;skin-removing devices upon the inner sides of said receptacle and covercomprising groups of curved triangular prongs; and means for supplyingwater to said receptacle.

8. In a vegetable peeling and washing machine, in combination, asupporting frame; a relatively shallow, closed recep tacle having curvedsides and provided with inwardly punched prongs covering its entiresurface, said receptacle being supported in said frame to move to andfro; means for bodily moving said receptacle to and fro; and means forsupplying water to said receptacle.

4:. In a vegetable peeling machine, in combination, a supporting frame;a relatively shallow closed receptacle having curved sides and providedwith abrading means covering its entire inner surface; and means forlongitudinally moving said receptacle to and fro.

5. In a vegetable peeling machine, in combination, a supporting frame; arelatively shallow closed receptacle provided with abrading meanscovering its entire inner surface; and links for movably suspending saidreceptacle in said supporting frame, the upper ends of said links beingcloser together than their lower ends, whereby said receptacle isadapted to have a combined reciprocating and tilting movement.

6. In a vegetable cleaning machine, in combination, a supporting frame,a relatively shallow closed vegetable-receptacle, certain of theinterior walls of which are adapted to clean the vegetables, and meansfor longitudinally moving said receptacle to and fro.

7. In a vegetable cleaning machine, in combination, a supporting frame,a relatively shallow closed vegetable receptacle, certain of the wallsof which are adapted to clean the vegetables, and links for movablysuspending said receptacle in said support, the upper ends of said linksbeing closer together than their lower ends, whereby said receptacle isadapted to have a combined reciprocating and tilting movement.

. STEPHEN D. HYDE.

Witnesses:

En STAGG, L- J. THURN.

